


No Height Requirements Here

by ArwenaminMaeleth



Category: AU! Tom/ Female OC, Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, Tom/ Female OC, Tom/ Johanna, Tom/ OFC, tom - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Cute, F/M, Fireside Romance, Fluff, Insecurities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 09:10:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17485313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArwenaminMaeleth/pseuds/ArwenaminMaeleth
Summary: Johanna has a bit of a strange insecurity, one Tom has never heard of before; but when he figures it all out, how will he come up with a solution?





	No Height Requirements Here

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on Tumblr and was inspired by a kissing prompt involving height. I really hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> xx

There were advantages of being short, or shorter than most people. One of the advantages being that the shorter person was always offered the front space, at concerts and in photos. Another being that they took up less space, meaning a game of hide and seek made them the master of the art; giving them the ability to crawl into much smaller spaces that their taller companion could not.

However, whenever a pro presented itself, a con was sure to be close behind. One in particular, that irked Johanna to no end was taller men, and the constant pain in her feet from stretching on her tip-toes to reach him. Stolen kisses were mere impossible, as the one to receive the loving gesture, would always notice her trying to sneak up on him. Not only was reaching an issue, but the jokes that came along with being short was not something she enjoyed being on the receiving end of. If she had a penny for every time someone would chip in with, ‘shall I get you a stool’ or ‘here, you can borrow my yellow pages’. It goes without saying, she would no longer have to work at her meagre job; but instead, she’d be laying on a sunbed by the beach, near her own private villa. Anyway, the yellow pages nowadays weren’t so thick, thanks to the likes of technology and the internet, so the joke was on them. Maybe.

Recently Johanna had such luck in getting a date with one of the most charming of men. Tom was sweet, kind and everything typical of a Mills and Boon romance novel. The shadow of facial hair gave him that rugged edge, whilst his physique was toned and perfectly defined. Together with his attentiveness and faultless manners, Tom was the perfect gentleman. The only downside was that he towered over her five-foot-something frame by a foot or more. Looking up at him, to admire his beauty, lent a whole new meaning to a pain in the neck. On the subject of kissing, well, that was a whole new challenge in itself. If her previous dates and relationships were a struggle, as they barely reached the six-foot mark, then Tom was the new Everest. Perhaps she _should_ invest in a foot stool.

Tom noted a change in her behaviour after their first date, often doing her best to duck away from him whenever he tried to get close. As far as he could tell, there was nothing else wrong. She always seemed to enjoy herself, whether it be for a simple walk along the beach or in a bar for dinner. There was no doubt that she enjoyed his company. But, there was something that was a little off. On their fifth date, there or thereabouts, he had decided to approach her on the subject. Luckily, he had invited her over to his for a quiet night in, enjoying fine wine and good conversation. It allowed him the perfect opportunity to ask what it was that was causing her to act so strange around him.

Clearing away the plates, after indulging in the most exquisite steak, he made sure that her glass was full, his own too, before joining her in the living area. She thanked him and politely took the glass from him, watching as he got comfortable on the single sofa, situated opposite her. She had kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs underneath herself, hoping that he wouldn’t mind her making herself completely comfortable. He shook his head, kind as ever, telling her that she should make herself at home. Gladfully, she did just that, cradling the crystal wine glass in one hand whilst she listened to the crackle of the fire. Warm from both the fire, and the wine, she felt a little more at ease. Sensing this, Tom took up the opportunity to ask.

“Johanna?”

“Hmm?” Her reply was simple, indicating her comfort and feeling of content.

“I’m curious to know,” He cleared his throat, a little unsure how to ask. Yet, he had to. It was bugging him, and he needed to know if it was something he was doing, or not. “Why is it whenever I try to get close to you, you move away or change the subject?”

All of a sudden, she was more alert and a little uneasy. She thought she had managed to get away with hiding her insecurity regarding her height. Her fingers tightened a little more around the stem of the glass, her lower lip becoming more interesting as she took it between her teeth, biting on it. This served no greater purpose than to remind Tom how much he wanted to kiss her. The gentle rose pink of her lips had turned a brighter shade from irritation, only making her lip more plump and inviting.

Her eyes flickered from the warming blaze of the fire, to the melting gaze of his silver-flecked hues. Nervous and a little intimidated, she tried to find the right words in her head to explain. Taking another sip of the deep bodied red, she then leant forward to place it on the table. She needed her hands, to distract her from her own nervousness. Allowing the wine a second or two, to seep in and calm her a little, she then sat up.

“It’s my height.”

Tom looked a little perplexed. Why would something that she could not change be such an issue? So much of an issue that she did all she could to avoid standing too close to him and allowing him to stand side by side with her.

“I know, It’s weird right?” She laughed, each note laced with anxiety. “Why would I worry about my height?” It was as if she had crept in to his mind and stolen his thoughts.

“I guess it stems from years of short jokes, embarrassing moments and just plain awkwardness because of my height.” She shrugged, picking at a spot on her jeans that seemed to be suddenly so fascinating. “Countless of times I’ve been the butt of people’s jokes. Even sometimes before a kiss happened, they would feel it appropriate to remind me of how much of an effort it is to get down enough to kiss me; that it was almost painful for them to bend down that far.”  
  
His brows lined up in confusion as he wondered why so many men had felt the need to be so stupid. A kiss was not in need of a height requirement. Should it be too painful for them to reach her, or so much of an issue, then they were not worthy of the feel of her lips on theirs. He then felt the sudden need to prove her wrong. That her height, if anything, was a plus instead of a problem. He wanted nothing more than to tower over her, protecting her smaller frame with his own as he wrapped her in a warm embrace. He wanted to look down in to her eyes, and admire the beauty that is her face, as she looked up at him with need and adoration. The men before him were fools. Fools to think that her height was a joke. They were not men, but simply boys, with no experience in true passion.

Mimicking her earlier move, he took a final sip from his wine, before placing the glass down. He then pushed himself up from his chair and in one swift move, came to stand beside the sofa where she was seated. Like a gentleman, he offered his hand out to her. Johanna looked at it, wondering what it was that he was thinking of doing. After a second, she took his hand, allowing him to pull her up to a standing position.

Barely reaching his shoulder, she felt insecure and rather small. She wanted to hide and cower back down in to the safety of her seat but his arm, now wrapped around her waist, prevented her from doing so. Her spine stiffened with his touch, her whole body tensed. He rubbed small circles in to the small of her back, attempting to ease her anxiety. He wanted her to relax, to trust him and to let go. Slowly, his fingertips lulled her in to a sense of security, her body relaxing a little more. He then used his fingers, placing them under her chin to lift it and tilt her head back. He looked at her eyes, glassy with wonder and a sliver of fear laced within the depths of green. He removed his hand, only to caress the softness of her cheek with his knuckles, gently tracing the contours of her face.

His thumb then touched her lower lip, still slightly red from her early ministrations, slowly gliding it across. Her lips were soft and warm to the touch, making him crave her just that little bit more.

“Tell me if this is too much for you.” He spoke, barely in a whisper.

She simply nodded, lost in the trance that was his touch and his embrace. Through barely a touch to her lips, she had forgotten all about her issues regarding her height. Now all there was, was him. She stopped noticing the difference in height between them, and focused only on the desire arousing within her. She couldn’t tell whether it was the wine, the fire, or him that was making her body feel tingling sensations all over. She put it down to an amalgamation of all three, causing her to feel slightly intoxicated.

He wasn’t about to let her settle just yet, for he had something else in mind. In a blink of an eye, she went from feet firmly on the ground to being lifted, her legs being made to wrap around his waist as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her up effortlessly. Her arms moving to drape around his neck, she looked down at the faire but handsome man that had her in his arms. Her fingers played gently with his hair, combing through the golden curls on the back of his head.

“How is this for a change?” He asked, hoping that it was okay; that he hadn’t startled her or made things worse. Although, her smile told him otherwise.

“It’s perfect. Although, I think it’s going to hurt far too much, reaching down just to kiss you.” She giggled.

“Oh, shut up and kiss me already.” He couldn’t help but match her smile, his demand coming from him like a purr, which made her shiver.

Leaning down, she captured his lips with her own, locking in the most passion filled kiss she had ever given. Her hands gently cupping his face, she allowed her dominance to shine through, as her new-found confidence filled her with desire and fuelled her need. Tom was all too happy to welcome her kiss, his own hands resting below the curve of her bottom, holding her up steady. There then came a new advantage to her height. This advantage was embodied in the man who did all he could, to show her passion without complaint, regardless of the height difference. And with this new advantage, they did nothing more that evening than enjoy each other’s company, forever locked in a passionate embrace.


End file.
